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This week, Concordance Academy of Leadership announced key updates to its health and wellness efforts as it continues to provide critical re-entry services to the formerly incarcerated. The organization, led by Danny Ludeman, confirmed a strategic partnership with Saint Louis University focused on expanding the organization’s health services for participants. In addition, the Academy announced the hires of Kim Miller (photo available at: http://bit.ly/2oSmuI5) and Mike Weiland (photo available at: http://bit.ly/2nyyxdu) as Co-Heads of Behavioral Health & Wellness to strengthen its program.

As our first class has returned from prison to our community, the need for a robust set of health and wellness services for our participants has been reinforced,” Ludeman said. “Partnering with Saint Louis University and adding Kim and Mike to our team will help ensure these critical services have an immediate impact on participants.”

Saint Louis University will support Concordance Academy in identifying participants’ wellness issues such as physical, behavioral and dental health issues, which can impact their success upon re-entry. SLU will coordinate with area health providers to establish necessary, ongoing medical care so patients can receive timely attention for health issues in the most appropriate setting.

Chronic health issues are most likely to worsen within the first 30 days of a participant’s release, and this medical support will improve the health of participants while reducing unnecessary and expensive hospital visits. Saint Louis University’s Director of Community Medicine, Fred Rottnek, MD, MAHCM, will lead the initiative. Dr. Rottnek has worked for 15 years in Correctional Health Care at the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health at the Buzz Westfall Justice Center and Saint Louis County Family Courts.

As Co-Heads of Behavioral Health and Wellness, Miller and Weiland will lead a team of social workers, counselors, clinicians and doctors in the delivery of an integrated set of behavioral health manualized interventions and approach to holistic health services and treatment, including cognitive and relational skills, mental health, wellness and substance use programming. In addition, the duo will manage the Concordance House, a residential facility designed to provide a supportive environment for those in recovery.

Miller, who joins the Academy from The Meadows in Wickenburg, Arizona, has more than 20 years of experience using integrated approaches to treat addiction, mental health and trauma issues. As an administrator and clinician, her career has focused on best practices, project management and program development. She has helped apply creative and clinical strategies to create effective behavioral health programs in treatment and counseling centers. Miller earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in social work, both from Arizona State University. She is also a Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor (LISAC) and a Licensed Master Social Worker (LCSW), as well as an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatic Experiencing and Feeling-State Addiction Protocol (FSAP) practitioner.

For more than 20 years, Weiland has worked with individuals and families who struggle with substance use and provided counseling at inpatient, outpatient and residential facilities. Most recently, he served as the director of The Crossroads Programs in St. Louis, Columbia and Kansas City. He is a lauded public speaker, traveling throughout Missouri to talk at schools, churches, police departments and with ACT Missouri. Weiland also is a Certified Reciprocal Alcohol Drug Counselor (CRADC), an International Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ICADC) and a Certified Reciprocal Prevention Specialist (CRPS).

Concordance Academy’s commitment to providing outstanding comprehensive care for participants remains the key priority,” Ludeman said. “Our emphasis on behavioral health and wellness will naturally yield additional long-term benefits for these individuals, their families and the community at large.”

Concordance Academy provides re-entry services to individuals returning to the community from prison. The Academy’s holistic, integrated and evidence-informed approach is unlike that of any other organization. The organization provides a continuity of care from pre-release through post-release, offering an all-encompassing set of in-house services that target key socio-economic, criminogenic and justice-involvement related factors. The work of the Academy is informed by effective, evidence- and trauma-informed randomized controlled trials.

ABOUT CONCORDANCE ACADEMY

Concordance Academy is a St. Louis-based nonprofit that offers the country’s first set of integrated, holistic and evidence-driven services to individuals returning to society from prison. Led by President and CEO Danny Ludeman, the organization assists participants in three primary areas: behavioral health and wellness; education and employment; and community and life skills. The Academy starts working with individuals six months prior to release and continues assisting for up to a year after their return to the community. The organization is committed to restoring individuals, rebuilding families, transforming communities and advancing the field of re-entry services. For more info, visit www.concordanceacademy.org.

ABOUT

The vision of Concordance Academy is to be a leader in understanding justice-involved adults, engaging and teaching them effectively, and developing in them the strength of character, wisdom, and skills required to make a positive impact – improving the vitality and safety of the community around them.